Louis H. Carpenter

Louis Henry Carpenter
Black and white picture of Louis Carpenter, a white male with a large mustache wearing his US Army uniform. His Army uniform has a high collar with an emblem of crossed swords and the letters U.S. next to it. He is wearing a round hat with an emblem of an eagle clutching something.
Brigadier General Louis H. Carpenter, 5th Cavalry
Nickname(s)L. Henry
Born(1839-02-11)February 11, 1839
Glassboro, New Jersey, US
DiedJanuary 21, 1916(1916-01-21) (aged 76)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Place of burial
Trinity Episcopal Church New Cemetery, Swedesboro, New Jersey
Allegiance United States
Service / branchBlack and white image of War Department seal prior to 1947. Later a color version was used for the Department of the Army. Department of War–Army
Years of service1861–1899
Rank Brigadier General
Commands5th US Colored Cavalry 1865–1866
1st Division, 3rd Corps at Chickamauga in May 1898
3rd Division, 4th Corps at Tampa, Florida later in 1898
Military Governor of the province of Puerto Principe, Cuba until June 1899.
Battles / warsAmerican Civil War
  • 14 major campaigns (1861–1865)

Indian Wars

Spanish–American War
RelationsJames Edward Carpenter (brother)
Other workwriter and speaker

Louis Henry Carpenter (February 11, 1839 – January 21, 1916) was a United States Army brigadier general and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the American Indian Wars.

He dropped out of his junior year at Dickinson College to enlist in the Union Army at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. First serving as a private, he was commissioned as an officer the following year. During the American Civil War, he participated in at least fourteen campaigns, primarily with the 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and as regimental commander of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry Regiment. By the end of the Civil War, Carpenter held the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel, colonel of volunteers, and also received a commission as first lieutenant in the Regular United States Army.

Carpenter received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars while serving with the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th U.S. Cavalry. He was noted several times for gallantry in official dispatches.

After the Civil War and until his transfer back East in 1887, he served primarily on the western frontier. He engaged in warfare with many Native American tribes, dealt with many types of renegades, and explored vast areas of uncharted territory from Texas to Arizona. During the Spanish–American War, he commanded an occupation force. He was appointed as the first military governor of Puerto Principe, Cuba. After 38 continuous years of service to his country, he retired from the Army on October 19, 1899, as a brigadier general. After his retirement, he became a speaker and a writer.